During menopause, the body stops making oestrogen. As a result, you experience symptoms ranging from hot flashes, migraines, vaginal discomfort, and weaker bones. Sometimes, women get hormone therapy to manage menopause symptoms. However clinical trials found that oestrogen hormone therapy carried certain risks. However, some studies show that when taken 10 years before the onset of menopause, oestrogen hormone therapy can reduce all-cause mortality significantly.
Just reminding everyone on international women's day that when started within 10 years of menopause, hormone therapy with estrogen can reduce all cause mortality by up to 30%.
Let's start talking about the risks of NOT offering hormones.
— Ashley Winter MD || Urologist (@AshleyGWinter) March 8, 2024
Understanding hormone therapy
Oestrogen hormone therapy is designed to ensure your body can replace the oestrogen depleted during menopause. The main types of oestrogen hormone therapy include:
Systemic hormone therapy: This comes in pill, skin patch, gel, cream, or spray form. It contains a higher dose of oestrogen to make it easier to absorb into the body. It’s used to treat the most common symptoms of menopause.
Oestrogen therapy: These are low-dose vaginal inserts that are creams, tablets, or rings. They work by minimising the amount of oestrogen absorbed by the body. They treat vaginal and urinary symptoms of menopause. It also prevents osteoporosis.
Combination therapy: It combines oestrogen and progesterone.
What role does oestrogen play?
Oestrogen ensures the uterus lining is thick enough to receive an implanted egg. It also determines how the body uses calcium which influences bone growth. In addition, it prevents the development of osteoporosis. Oestrogen also affects blood cholesterol, ensuring levels remain safe. Just before menopause, oestrogen levels drop. This is what causes menopausal symptoms. When oestrogen and progesterone levels drop, the body stops experiencing the menstrual cycle. Menopause officially starts when you don’t experience a period for a year.
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Risks of oestrogen hormone therapy
Hormone replacement therapy has been used less frequently since 2002 because of the risks that came with it. They include heart disease, stroke, blood clots, and breast cancer. However, these risks are determined by age, whether the hormone therapy was administered with progestin and pre-existing conditions.
If you’ve not had a hysterectomy, taking oestrogen without progesterone increases the risk of endometrial cancer. Oestrogen can trigger the overgrowth of cells in the uterus. Progesterone thins the endometrium reducing the risk of cancer. If you don’t have a uterus, you may not need to take progesterone.
Oestrogen therapy increases the risk of blood clots and stroke. It also increases gallbladder problems. If started after the patient is past midlife, it increases the risk of dementia. There is an added risk of breast cancer. If your family has a history of breast cancer or you have the BrCA gene, you need to consult your doctor before signing up for oestrogen therapy. If you have already been diagnosed with breast cancer, you shouldn’t take oestrogen therapy.
Hormone therapy has side effects of monthly bleeding, spotting, breast tenderness, and mood swings. It can also cause fluid retention, migraine, brown or black spots in the skin, increased breast density, or skin irritation if you’re using a patch.
Benefits of hormone therapy
Other than reducing the risk of mortality, oestrogen therapy also has the following benefits. It reduces the risk of osteoporosis. Some women experience improved mood. Due to the influence on calcium, it reduces the risk of tooth loss. Oestrogen therapy also reduces the risk of colon cancer and diabetes. In addition, it lowers joint pains. When started before midlife, before you turn 60, or ten years before menopause, it also reduces the risk of dementia.
Can taking hormone therapy save your life?
Multiple clinical trials have found that taking hormone therapy within ten years before menopause can help many women. In this study, scientists examined the measures taken to reduce all-cause mortality among women. Oestrogen administered to women in their 50s for 5-30 years can reduce the risk of all-cause mortality. Hormone therapy can also affect the heart and blood vessels. You shouldn’t use hormone therapy to treat heart conditions and stroke exclusively. It can also reduce the risk of diabetes by improving glucose tolerance and insulin response which usually decline at the onset of menopause.
Women should be given the option to use hormone therapy to treat menopausal symptoms. You need to talk with your medical provider to determine the best delivery method, minimise the number of medications you take, get regular care, and improve the quality of your lifestyle.
Check out:
Health: The Symptoms Of Early Menopause, Causes And Treatments
10 Natural Ways To Balance Your Hormones
Important Health Screenings All Women Should Have
Health: 10 Signs And Symptoms Of Hormonal Imbalance In Women
